Can Baron bring that highlevel game to the W's like he did when we just got him. When he first got here, Baron made us forget about that great PG that was here in '03. A lot of us, myself included, was quite bitter with the lost of Gilbert. However, with Barons arrival, i felt at the PG position, the talent level was now the same, if not better. Last season was a backbreaker -- injuries, out of shape, etc.

And before the signing of Nellie, to be honest i wasn't sure how Baron was going to do in this upcoming season.

BUT now, I am very hopeful [realistically hopeful] that BD can bring that phoenix suns tempo back to the W's. Not the half court game that killed us last year.

Baron Davis' play relies 30% on injuries, 30% on motivation, and 40% on the coach (which, somehow, seems to effect the other two).

With Mike Montgomery, Baron could have cared less about when he came back... Baron seemed to milk his injuries... and even when Baron did play, he was soul-less and simply heaved the ball into the air like a quarterback the entire game. Montgomery is my biggest reason for Baron's attitude/failure.

Don Nelson is another story. Players love Don Nelson. He always seems to make point guards (Hardaway, Nash) better than they were previously being viewed. I can see Nelly being the one who lights a fire under Baron's ass.

And when Baron Davis plays 100%, Arenas can't even be put on the same page as him. Gilbert Arenas is a ballhog; he can't playmake to save his life, and he does nothing else well (rebounding, defense, ect). Baron Davis' game puts Gilbert's to shame when they're both giving it their all.

Nelson will recapture Baron Davis' killer instinct. And people in the Bay will be rightfully refering to Gilbert as a sell-out, rather than 'the one who got away'...

Both were in their 5th seasons when they had these numbers. Like I said... Gilbert's a better scorer. Every other category is taken by Baron (especially assists... where he averaged over 9 last year). When Baron plays his fullest, there's can't be any question. Gilbert is an undersized SG trying to play the point... and was left off the all-star team this year (until Stern interfered). Baron Davis is one of the league's Top 3 PG's when he plays his best.

Nelson will bring the magic out of Baron I agree with you #32 on Baron's output last year but it's only fair to take into account him injuring his hammy the 1st game of the season, having that linger upon his return, then the unfortunate bad break ankle injury that he re injured rushing back with good intention's... Baron is probably on a tread mill as we speak, hopefully after that he will shoot 1000 ft's and work on his J

O.G. broe wrote:Nelson will bring the magic out of Baron I agree with you #32 on Baron's output last year but it's only fair to take into account him injuring his hammy the 1st game of the season, having that linger upon his return, then the unfortunate bad break ankle injury that he re injured rushing back with good intention's... Baron is probably on a tread mill as we speak, hopefully after that he will shoot 1000 ft's and work on his J

Interesting point you bring up on free throw shooting. This topic has been discussed on this board on more than one occassion; however, after watching USA Basketball and the loss to Greece, it becomes quite apparent that poor free throw shooting is not just a GS Warrior problem, but an overall USA Basketball problem.

The mechanics of shooting a free throw start at an early age, not when a player gets to the NBA. That being said, perhaps the coaching staff can at least work with the starters to shoot at least 70% from the line. In an uptempo/fast break style of game (which I am assuming this Nelson coached team will be playing), this Warrior team will probably not be getting to the line as much as a more traditional half-court team; however, the free throw shooting percentage still needs to improve.

The league has it's priorities all mixed up. In an NBA Draft, most squads would rather risk on a Rudy Gay (a player with limited skilled talent, but endless physical potential) rather than a JJ Redick (whose skills are nearly perfect, but his physical attributes can be best described as limited).

The NBA GMs and coaches believe that they can take a talented physical player and mold him into a skilled ballplayer. As we've seen throughout the years, that's not often the case.

Skilled ballplayers are in as short of a demand as they've ever been. People think this influx of European ball players is an amazing thing... but we'd have the same amount of skilled players on NBA teams in America if they weren't being continually passed up on their AAU, middle school, high school, college, and summer leagues for faster, high-jumping track athletes that can dunk the ball.

#32 wrote:Skilled ballplayers are in as short of a demand as they've ever been. People think this influx of European ball players is an amazing thing... but we'd have the same amount of skilled players on NBA teams in America if they weren't being continually passed up on their AAU, middle school, high school, college, and summer leagues for faster, high-jumping track athletes that can dunk the ball.

Yeah, I also think part of the new wave of foreigners coming to the NBA are due to the own american young players, who are focusing more on the flashy side of the game. Of course there are exceptions, but the athleticism is a given on most american players, while the european ones seemed more focused on fundamentals, while behind the americans on athleticism. And that's not a good thing, as it lowers the level of talent on the league. I'd rather watch a well played game than a dunkfest.

I think it's an educational issue... by the media, mostly. It's not about the game anymore, but the adrenaline rush of certain moments... That's why I get excited by a prospect like Ike who plays like the old school players. F*ck the Travis Outlaws of the world (no offense to Travis Outlaw, but he's a good example).

#32 wrote:And when Baron Davis plays 100%, Arenas can't even be put on the same page as him. Gilbert Arenas is a ballhog; he can't playmake to save his life, and he does nothing else well (rebounding, defense, ect). Baron Davis' game puts Gilbert's to shame when they're both giving it their all.

Totally agree with everything said! I've been thinking this for awhile.

His attitude isnt that of a true superstar; players like wade, iverson, KG [one of my favs] etc. who play their hardest every game, every single time they step on the court they play it like its their last. And even with injuries.

and even when their body is aching, AI will always pull something from within and gut it out.

My question is, why can't baron do the same? Show us some heart. Something Jason Richardson has shown time and time again. But now, we need it from the other star player on the team. Its time for BD to be a real leader.

--did anyone see Chris Paul gut thru the various injuries last year, and still perform well while missing few games-- Baron can learn from cp3.

BUT all that aside. a healthy BD will no doubt have a bigger impact on whatever team he plays than a healthy Arenas.